The Pleasure Diet: What, exactly, is a serving size of hummus?

It sounds like a healthy snack: hummus and baby carrots. Except I can go through a container of hummus and half a bag of those baby carrots at warp speed, especially when I get home from work, I'm starving, and I don't feel like cooking. (Did I mention I never cook?) Well, my nutritionist Marissa informed me that a serving of hummus is about 1/6 of a container of my favorite Sabra brand, or 2 to 4 tablespoons. That's MEASLY! Other nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from Marissa that I intend to put into practice from now on:

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Don’t bother with nonfat foods. Marissa says that they’re not satisfying, so you end up eating more later. Stick to 1 or 2 percent yogurt and milk. Yes! (Personally, I love Fage Greek yogurt and Horizon organic milk).

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Cereal is okay, but only for breakfast. Because I don’t cook, I’m apt to grab a bowl (or two) of my favorite organic cereal (Bear Naked granola), add berries, skim milk and make an evening meal of it. “Bad idea,” says Lippert, who calls cereal a “gateway food” and “the road to disaster.” She adds: “Too many women overdose on cereal at night–they eat it just to eat, and because they rationalize that it’s healthy, they eat more of it than they should.” Guilty as charged.

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Think in halves, as in filling HALF your plate with salad or veggies. Then divide the rest between protein and whole grains/carbs. If you’re eating in a restaurant, leave HALF the portion on your plate, have it wrapped up and bring it home. (We all know that restaurant portions are supersized!)